Hole in the Wall

One of Austin’s oldest venues, the Hole in the Wall opened in 1974 and enjoyed an early run as a folkie hangout, serving as a favorite stage for Townes Van Zandt, Nanci Griffith, and Blaze Foley. The campus-area staple later became a breeding ground for punk, cosmic country, and alternative, launching the careers of Timbuk3, Fastball, Spoon, and Shakey Graves. Forty years on, the historic two-stage dive, with a collective capacity of a couple hundred, still features live music every night and serves as an important proving ground for new bands. Always a shoestring effort, the Hole briefly shuttered in 2002 and came dangerously close to being priced out in 2015.